A Bump in the Road
by No Sweeter Song
Summary: A companion piece to Clumsy.  A runin with Remus from teenaged Tonks' point of view.  A little girl with a big crush on the highly unattainable.


A companion piece to my other story, Clumsy. After I posted that one, a few people suggested I attempt to write the encounter with the teenaged Tonks, Remus, and Andromeda. So for every girl who's ever crushed on a brother's best friend or a teacher or the cute high school boy next door...this one's for you!

And if I owned these guys, I'd be out hunting those older boys and not sitting at home writing about them.

* * *

If asked later, Nymphadora Tonks would've told you she simply wasn't paying attention. She'd ducked her head to avoid someone's leering eyes, hadn't seen the bump in the cobblestone road, and her toe had caught. Nymphadora was used to the sensation of losing her balance, flying forward, desperately placing her arms in front of her in an attempt to keep from smashing her face.

Truth was, she'd seen him coming. He wasn't as good-looking as the guys her friend might've tripped in the streets. But Nymphadora knew him. He looked different. After all, it had been eight years since she'd last seen him. There were gray streaks speckling his dark brown hair, and he looked tired. But it was him. She'd know the face from her mother's photos.

She noticed him coming up from down the street. She was sure it was him, but how could one be entirely positive, really? And her mum was still in Madame Malkin's. And she'd never know if she didn't stop him. But how would a thirteen year-old witch get the attention of a man twice her age?

And so she resulted to the one thing she knew for a fact she did well. She took a breath, tipped her ankle beneath her, and went flying, falling into the man. He seemed angry at first, and Nymphadora clammed up immediately. Finally, he spoke, pulling his feet beneath him. "Well."

It was only one word, but it caused her cheeks to colour. "I... I..." She began stammering, but fortunately, a figure rushed up behind her.

"Nymphadora, Merlin, look at the state of you," Andromeda Tonks tsked, reaching a hand down to her daughter. Her eyes flew open when she saw the figure sitting, crashed at the teen's side. "And Remus Lupin, look at you. Never coming around anymore, are you?"

It _was_ him! Nymphadora's eyes widened, climbing slowly to her feet as her mother assisted the man. "M'all right," he mumbled, brushing off the back of his robes. "Just a bit of an accident." He looked angry. Very angry. Oops.

Andromeda, was looking him over, making sure he wasn't hurt. As soon as she figured out he was all right, she turned her gaze to her daughter. "Yes, well, accidents seem to happen quite a bit with Dora around." Her smile was fond, though, as she took Nymphadora's hand and appraised it for scratches. Nymphadora knew what was coming and waited patiently as her mother murmured a simple healing charm and pointed her hand at the girl's palm.

"Thanks, Mum," she mumbled, avoiding Remus' appraising look. She had no clue what colour her hair was just then. The whole morphing thing was turning out to be quite bothersome, especially in school. Professor McGonagall seemed to be quite angry when Nymphadora's hair would find its way to an odd shade of green or pink or orange. It wasn't her fault, though. While she'd gotten better at controlling her eyes and her facial features, her hair still had a mind of its own, especially during emotional displays. At that moment, it could be a sky blue and she wouldn't know unless she made a show of checking it.

She took the time that the adults used to talk to study Remus Lupin. At seventeen, the last time she'd seen him, he'd been quite dishy, but not in such a glaringly obvious way. Now he had a more distinguished look to him, sort of like a much taller Professor Flitwick. Or maybe a much younger Professor Dumbledore. His hair framed his face, falling to just above his shoulders, and though she knew he couldn't be much older than twenty-six--her mum's cousin's age--he was already showing signs of being older than that. Still, she tilted her head and studied him, shifting from foot to foot.

The adults discussed things she didn't much care about. The war that had raged when she was a few years younger, but she'd carefully avoided. The prices going up at Flourish and Blotts. What their families were doing. Nymphadora did, however, notice that neither one addressed the subject of Sirius. Mum didn't talk about him much, and Remus either understood that, or didn't talk about him either. Curious. The pictures in her house with Remus all had the dark-haired man in them.

She'd gotten so distracted she didn't even notice as Andromeda reached forward to hug Remus, patting him lightly on the shoulder and murmuring something in his ear. Nymphadora's eyes widened as she pulled herself up to her full five feet. He gave a small smile in return and whispered something back. Almost as if he'd forgotten she was standing there, he gave her a nod and a tiny smile, which Nymphadora attempted to return but was sure it came out shakily.

"I've got to get to Madam Malkin's," he told her mother, nodding over his shoulder to the shop Andromeda had just left. Nymphadora's eyes flickered in the direction of the robe maker's store. Maybe her mum hadn't finished shopping. Maybe they could go in, too. Which sounded a little like she was following him, which she wasn't, not really. She just wanted to get to know him better. Her mother talked fondly of him. And he _was_ still good looking. And he seemed nice enough, despite the glare he'd given her earlier. She imagined if someone went careening into her, she wouldn't have been too happy either.

But her dream of getting to hang around was broken when her mother nodded, shooting her own glance to the shop. "Just be careful. Umbridge alert." Remus' eyes darkened, and he nodded shortly. "Try to keep in touch this time, would you?" Andromeda asked, slipping an arm around Nymphadora's shoulders.

Remus gave a small smile and nodded. "Yes, of course. Sorry about that. It's... It's been a rough couple of years."

Nymphadora glanced up and watched her mother's face as it, too, went dark. "Completely understand. But don't be afraid to drop an owl once in a while. Ted and I miss having you around."

As he walked away, Nymphadora's eyes followed him. "Mum?" she asked, as she felt her mother start to guide her to Florean Fortescue's ice cream shoppe. Her mood perked up slightly, but her head still swiveled from time to time to the direction of the robe maker's.

"Yes, love?"

"What's an Umbridge alert?"

She felt her mother's grip on her shoulders tense slightly. "Just a woman who isn't too fond of Mr. Lupin, is all. Thought he might want some warning that she was in there. Wouldn't want to surprise him."

It wasn't exactly the answer she was looking for, but Nymphadora nodded thoughtfully. Pausing before she could be led in for ice cream, she looked up at her mother again. "Mum?"

Laughing, Andromeda shook her head. "Dora?"

"What colour is my hair right now?"

Eyebrows lifting, Andromeda glanced at her daughter. "Pink. Like Drooble's. Why?"

Grinning to herself, Nymphadora only shrugged. "Just wondering. Let's get bubblegum flavour ice cream, yeah?"


End file.
